When he died last year, the Wire actor was writing a memoir of his extraordinary life. In this exclusive extract he talks about his big break, struggles with addiction, and surreal encounters with the president
After leaving school, against the wishes of his family, Michael K Williams began working as a backup dancer and model, working with 90s cultural icons including Madonna and David LaChapelle. His film debut came in Bullet (1996) opposite Tupac Shakur, but his real break came when, after a single audition, he was cast as Omar Little in HBO crime drama The Wire …
If it looks real to you, it feels real to me. On The Wire, Omar’s tenacity and swagger were based on people I knew and grew up with – including my childhood friend’s brother K-. But his pain, his raw nerves, I didn’t have to look anywhere for that. I was built out of that stuff.
